Lead Lawyer

We are looking to recruit a Lead Lawyer to join our Section 29 team within the Regulation and Accreditation Directorate on a 12 month basis to cover the current Lead Lawyer’s maternity leave. The team is responsible for reviewing final fitness to practise outcomes of the 10 regulators we oversee to ensure they are sufficient for public protection.

The Lead Lawyer role involves:

• Leading and managing the team that conducts the initial stage reviews of the PSA’s section 29 process, ensuring targets are met and completed on time, quality assuring the work of the team and providing training.
• Leading on the PSA’s overall approach to learning points identified through the analysis of cases and sent to the regulators to aid quality improvement.
• Conducting detailed reviews of cases that have been identified as requiring further review, making written recommendations for consideration in relation to potential appeals of fitness to practise decisions.
• Acting as a decision-maker on S29 case meetings to determine whether to refer a decision to Court and on other panels on behalf of the PSA, where required.
• Deputising for the Head of Legal, including assisting with the preparation of cases for appeal under section 29, and preparing and delivering relevant internal and external training.

We are looking to recruit a solicitor, barrister, CILEX qualified lawyer with a current practising certificate who can:

• Lead and manage a small team who review outcomes of fitness to practise hearings to decide whether they require further review.
• Prioritise and confidently manage multiple separate streams of work, and can work in a fast-paced environment and to deadlines.
• Demonstrate strong analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Quality assure the work of others in an effective and collaborative manner to ensure it meets our quality requirements.
• Produce detailed analyses of fitness to practise cases to make written recommendations as to whether those decisions meet the legal threshold for an appeal under section 29 of the 2002 National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act.
• Communicate complex concepts clearly, providing advice to decision-makers.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of fitness to practise legislation and processes of regulators of health and care professionals.
• Be positive and work collaboratively and flexibly in a small team.

Previous experience of working for health and care professions regulators and knowledge of issues affecting healthcare regulatory bodies would be desirable. You will need a strong commitment to protecting patients and the public, and to share our values of integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork.

The Professional Standards Authority is a strategic organisation with a key role in ensuring high standards of patient safety through excellence in regulation. We promote the health, safety and wellbeing of patients, service users and the public by raising standards of regulation and registration of people working in health and care. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament. We are a small organisation that is respected for its expertise.

We help to protect the public by raising standards in the regulation and registration of the health and care workforce. We are committed to promoting a fair and inclusive workplace where all our staff can flourish and reach their full potential. We know that a diverse workforce, at all levels, allows for a more creative and productive environment bringing different viewpoints, knowledge and experience. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from everyone irrespective of age, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will guarantee an interview for people with disabilities who meet all the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this scheme then please let us know.

We will not accept CVs or applications where CVs are attached in place of a personal statement. We are happy for this role to be considered as a secondment opportunity.

If you have any questions, or would like reasonable adjustments to be made at any stage of the process, please do not hesitate to contact the HR team on 0207 389 8050 or email us at recruitment@professionalstandards.org.uk.

The closing date for applications is 29 June 2025 (11.59pm). Interviews will be held on 11 and 14 July 2025. The interview will include an advocacy assessment which you will be given an hour to prepare for and then present during the interview. Please note that it is unlikely that an alternative interview date could be offered should you be unable to attend at this time. We are looking for someone to start with us in October 2025.